Slow cooking at low heat is what melts the tough connective tissue between the muscle fibers, leaving you with tender meat that pulls apart with your fork.
Look for cuts that are well marbled with fat.
Let the roast sit (wrapped) for two hours outside of the refrigerator to come to room temperature before cooking.
A 4 pound roast takes roughly 4 hours, not including time taken to sear the meat and saute the onion and garlic. By adding the vegetables about halfway through the process you will get a nice tasting yet not mushy mouthful. Here it is served home-style with mashed potatoes and a mixed vegetable on the side.
Ingredients
4 lbs chuck roast
salt and pepper
olive oil for searing
2 medium sweet yellow onions chopped
4 large garlic cloves minced
¼ cup balsamic wine vinegar
½ cup beef broth
cornstarch enough to lightly coat meat on all sides
24 ounces about 4 cups baby carrots
2 stalks celery, sliced to match the carrots
½ tsp old bay seasoning
Beef is about 60 to 70% water (the rest is protein and fat). So by keeping the heat very low and the pot tightly covered, the beef will release water as it cooks, and it will cook in its own juices. This makes a deeper beef flavor. The key is keeping the temperature low and making sure the lid is tight fitting! If your pot's lid doesn't fit tightly, cover the pot first with foil, then secure the lid over it.
Instructions
Remove the meat from refrigerator and let sit covered on counter for between 1 to 2 hours before cooking.
Do your cutting. Cut the onion in thick slices, chop the garlic, put in a microwave safe bowl and mix in the old bay seasonings.
In another bowl place baby carrots and chop the celery to match the size of the carrots.
Heat the onions & garlic in the microwave for 3 minutes.
Lightly season meat on all sides with salt and pepper. Sear well in a heavy bottomed pan with a small amount of olive oil - preferably in an enameled cast iron dutch oven. Make sure all sides are well seared.
Remove meat from pan, sprinkle all sides with cornstarch and set aside.
Turn heat down to medium and add the onion and garlic with any juice. Add a little more olive oil if needed. Saute until fragrant and beginning to caramelize, about 5 minutes.
Mix the vinegar & broth in a bowl and pour in to the pan to de-glaze. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon until all the bits are released into the broth. Bring to a light simmer.
Place meat back into pan, turning once so all sides are wet.
Cover tightly and roast at 225 degrees on center rack for 1.5 hours.
Remove from oven and carefully remove roast from pan. Heat the carrots and other vegetables together in the microwave for 2 mins before adding them and stir to coat well. Add vegetables to pan and stir to coat well.
Return meat to pan (upside-down), cover tightly, and continue roasting for an additional hour until meat and veggies are fork tender.
After adding the vegetables is a good time to start boiling the potatoes for mashing!
When you remove the roast, keep covered while you macro-zap the green vegetable.
Hearty and sustaining, this meal is a keeper!
For our music tonight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fE4_8b0490
socialslave
To satisfy and restore.
To nourish, support and maintain.
To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,
to nurture, assist, and sustain
…..I cook!
Please buy slave's cookbook:
The Little Black Book of Indiscreet Recipes by Dan White
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